Life Lessons from The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Friends. FRIENDS. I have been waiting for this post since I walked out of the theater this past weekend, still buzzing from the Lady Gaga soundtrack playing in my head and honestly a little emotional in a way I did not fully anticipate. Grab your coffee and settle in because this one's a good one.

Let me set the scene. The Devil Wears Prada 2 has been out for a few weeks now and if you haven't seen it yet, no spoilers here, I promise. But I will say this: I walked in expecting a fun, nostalgic, fashion-forward good time. Some fierce Meryl Streep one-liners to add to my witty repertoire and use in parenting (inspiration comes from many places around here!). What I did not expect was to walk out with a whole list of life lessons rattling around in my brain. And yet. Here we are.

Because that's what good storytelling does, right? It sneaks up on you. You think you're just watching Meryl Streep be absolutely terrifying in the most magnificent way possible, and suddenly you're sitting in the parking lot doing a little quiet reflection on your choices. Just me? Okay, probably not just me.

So here's what The Devil Wears Prada 2 reminded me about life and I'm keeping it really, really real, as always.

You can evolve and still be you.

Twenty years have passed in this story, and Andy Sachs? She's grown up. She's grown into herself. And yet, the things that made her her in the first film — her values, her grit, her big heart — are still completely intact. That hit home for me in a big way. Especially coming off my own birthday reflection recently about not being who I was 10 years ago and how that's a good thing. Evolving doesn't mean losing yourself. It means you finally figured out how to carry yourself better.

Reinvention is not just for the young.

Miranda Priestly, the woman who built an empire, is faced with having to adapt or be left behind. And what does she do? She adapts. She fights. She refuses to let the story end on someone else's terms. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say: watching a woman of a certain age refuse to shrink? Absolute standing ovation energy. In a world that often tells women to quietly step aside and make room, this movie had something very different to say about that. Noted. Bookmarked. Framed on my metaphorical wall. 

Your past doesn't disqualify you. It prepares you.

There's something really beautiful about how the history between these characters and their complicated, messy, imperfect history ends up being the very thing that equips them for what's ahead. How many times have we looked at the hardest, most chaotic seasons of our lives and thought, what was even the point of that? And then later, sometimes much later, we see it. The hard thing made us ready. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the chaos has a purpose. Even when it absolutely does not feel like it in the moment.

Know your worth…and then add tax.

Emily Charlton returns in this film and I will not say much except that watching Emily fully own her power and her worth in a high-stakes situation had me quietly saying "yes, ma'am" under my breath in a darkened movie theater. We talk a lot about knowing our worth in theory, but doing it in practice, when it's scary, when something important is on the line, when people are watching, well, that's where the real work is. This movie had a lot to say about what happens when women stop apologizing for taking up space. Coincidentally, so does my therapist! Moms are notoriously not great at making room for our own needs, interests, and carving out space to just be sometimes. While I’m better at it now, there was so much of Emily’s story in this movie that reminded me it’s a good thing to have a strong ambition and strong voice to match that. I’m setting the example for my daughter (and my son, quite frankly) that women should be at the important tables, leading, and making a difference in this world. 

And finally, and definitely my most favorite:

Collective joy is real and it matters

I've written about collective joy before, and I'll never stop believing in it. Watching a packed theater full of people laugh together, gasp together, and yes, maybe quietly tear up together (not just me, I saw you, lady two rows ahead)…that's something.  It had been awhile since I’d been to a movie that wasn’t animated and created by Pixar and I honestly forgot just how fun they are. In a world that feels so divided and heavy and loud, there is something genuinely healing about sitting in a room with a bunch of strangers and feeling good together. The Devil Wears Prada 2 gave us that. And we needed it.

So yes, go see it. The sooner the better - because, you know, “moving at a glacial pace just thrills me”! Take your people. Get the large popcorn. And maybe bring a sticky note to jot down whatever sneaks up on you, because I have a feeling it will.

Love you, mean it, friends.